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Rhesian
 Posts: 49 Location: Pennsylvania |
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Hi folks! First post here. I loved this thread so much I had to register for ANN and add my 2 cents. After occasionally watching and liking the Miyazaki (fave: Princess Mononoke) and Kon (fave: Millenium Actress) movies, I finally went “full speed ahead” in watching anime series and OVAs not too long ago. I haven’t completed too many of them yet, but from what I’ve seen I have some definite favorites:
Favorite 10 Anime Series/OVA so far: #1: Elfen Lied – This may be the most polarizing anime series. It seems that people either love it or hate it. For one thing, the animation is good but not a perfect 10, the story may not be the most original, the characters were somewhat one-dimensional, and the English dub wasn’t all that great. Elfen Lied is also very hard to categorize: is it horror, drama, fanservice, slice-of-life, even harem comedy? Some viewers I think place it in a single category which doesn't suit them. However, if one looks past categories and takes it as an entire package, Elfen Lied became for me one of the most disturbingly sad thing I’ve ever seen. It takes something really “special” to hit me as an emotional gut-check… and Elfen Lied did it! I think the pacing of the story and the use of flashbacks were fantastically done… which made the last 2-3 episodes what I would describe as “difficult but amazing” to watch. The ending with its symbolism was not in the manga since it wasn’t complete at the time. However, to me it’s a perfect ending… a rarity in anime. Although Elfen Lied is notorious for its gore and nudity, I think both were strangely appropriate for the subject matter. I felt comfortable enough with it to watch the series again with my fiancé (who got me into anime in the first place) and it “hit” me almost as much as my first watching. #2: Haibane Renmei – When I first tried watching this, I had to stop after a few episodes... I stopped because it was so warm and touching that I felt I would be giving it a disservice by not being able to put more time into it. This is a series that needs to be “taken in and experienced” rather than just watched. When I finally was able to spend the time and watch all the episodes in a 2-day span, I was absolutely floored. What a beautifully realized world invented by ABe! And the themes, dilemmas and trials the main characters go through left me touched... for the next few days I kept thinking about Haibane and feeling sad and happy at the same time. If you want a profound, thought-provoking, beautifully rendered series that tugs at your heart, this is the one for you. #3: Kino's Journey: Another extremely profound, thought-provoking series. Some of the episodes IMHO are the best pieces of writing I've seen in anime. I don't know how the writers could convey so much detail about the culture as well as expound and resolve each conflict Kino encounters in the land she visits in every stand-alone episode. This is a mature, thinker's anime series. #4: Monster (up to ep#23): The best anime series not licensed in the USA. If this was a live-action series on American TV, I'd bet it would be in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings. After 23 episodes, I can honestly say there hasn't been one ounce of filler. Each character and interaction is important and I'm constantly wondering how each scene contributes to the future story. What the animation lacks is more than made up by the story and character development. #5: Gankutsuou – I call this “a magnificent spectacle”. I’ve heard Gankutsuou’s animation may cause seizures because it’s so colorful and detailed. For example, you won’t see better clothing/outfits than those worn by Haydee, particularly at the opera. I even liked the “scrolling wallpaper” used in the uniforms, hair, and other textured backgrounds. The CGI was a bit overdone at times, but I’ll forgive GONZO since they must have dropped a couple bucks into this series. My fiancé had read Alexander Dumas’ novel and was able to give me a good account of similarities and differences between the novel and anime. Based on this, I actually like the treatment of this classic story in the anime, although I wish they were closer to the original ending. #6: Cowboy Bebop – What a “cool” show. I can see why this is a top 5 for just about everyone. Great animation, “cool” characters, awesome music… the OST makes for a great jazz/blues album. I don’t think I can add anything else that hasn’t been mentioned. Did I mention it was “cool”? #7: Planetes - Mix the realism of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey with the corporate hijinks of the TV series The Office and the intrigue of your favorite political thriller and you have this fantastic anime series. There's great character development and many individuals have background stories that are very well fleshed out. Planetes also does a great job in illustrating space as a treacherous environment (orbital debris, anyone?) and equally captures man's fascination to explore, discover, and push his limits. #7: Read or Die OVA – The best action-packed 3-episode, interesting premise, awesome music OVA I know of. The animation of Yomiko Readman’s paper maneuvers is a sight to behold. The music fits the ambience perfectly. I’ve heard people complain of the lack of character development, but what the hell are you expecting out of 3 30-minute episodes? They tried to character development with R.O.D. – The TV and it was excruciating until they got into the main plot (episode #13-14 or so). In fact, I think if you watched the OVA, then you can basically glance through the 1st 12 episodes of the TV series and pick up what becomes an awesome show at episode #13 without any problems. #8: Hellsing – Another suggestion from my fiancé who has the manga which was well worth it. Is there a character that is as much fun to watch as Alucard? His interactions with Anderson still get a chuckle between my fiancé and myself. The animation is crisp and appropriately dark and it makes the violence and moderate gore that much better. I agree with the complaints about the ending (yet another anime finished before the manga was completed) which is why we can’t wait to get the Hellsing Ultimate OVAs. #9: Last Exile – Wonderful animation and concept! It’s a combination of future technology and early 1800s English navy sea battles and it works well. The frigate battles and vanship races/maneuvers have a great mix of hand-drawn and CGI animation. I’ve heard complaints about the story, but I think it’s good enough to make Last Exile a fun experience to watch. #10: Samurai X - Trust and Betrayal - I haven't watched the TV series or other OVAs in the Ruroni Kenshin canon. That being said, as a stand-alone OVA series, Samurai X is a beautiful epic tragedy on the level of other classic samurai films. It captures brutality and beauty at the same time. Disappointing Anime Series/OVA: #1: Oh! My Goddess OVA – I watched this shortly after seeing Tenchi Muyo, hearing it was another good harem-style comedy. It just didn’t cut it for me. While Tenchi had an edginess amongst the women in his life, OMG seemed more sickly sweet and dull. The animation didn’t wow me either. #2: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – I’m not getting the hype around Haruhi. It is well animated and Haruhi truly is a force of nature. I did get quite a few chuckles with her antics. However, I don’t think the story is all that unique and I didn’t connect with the main characters to make this is a Top 10 anime. Part of it may be the pacing which was hacked up by the sequencing of the episodes, tongue in cheek and all. But I think the main problem was the subbing. Kyon’s ongoing dialogue is one of the best things about the series. Unfortunately, there’s so much of it that I was constantly going back and forth between the action and the subtitles and getting annoyed. TMoHS may work better for me when the English dub is done. #3: Ergo Proxy – The “Blade Runner” of anime for me. Like Blade Runner, it had a great atmosphere (futuristic dark, cyberpunk-like), impressive animation/special effects, and an interesting premise. But like Blade Runner, Ergo Proxy devolved into a disappinting, philosophical mess in the end. #4: Texholynize - Too much grittiness and not enough emotional connection with the characters in the beginning made me drop this series after 6 episodes. Maybe I need to be in the right frame-of-mind or mood to appreciate this series, but I certainly couldn't do it the first time I tried. #5: Witch Hunter Robin - WHR had a promising start with an interesting premise. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel it was going anywhere after the main story arc started. Finally, there was one extremely annoying sound effect which grated my nerves. Anyone notice that the footstep sounded like someone banging wood blocks together over and over again? Since someone was running half the time, the constant clicking and clacking became extremely noticeable. Last edited by Rhesian on Sun May 27, 2007 10:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Skylark
 Posts: 827 Location: ORE NO TSHIRT |
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Okay, so now I've finished watching Busou Renkin, and I have to say that the ending is terrible! It was going to be part of my top list, but I can't stand animes that make everything end 'nicely' at the expense of pretty much everything else. There was a turning point in this anime when it went from awesome to sappy, and this one did it - fast. It's not in my bottom 5, but it's extremely disappointing. Definitely not in my top 10. It is worth watching up until the whole spoiler['Victor'] thing though. Just pretend that spoiler[didn't actually come out of the flask, and that they managed to destroy it first. Then skip to the scene with Tokiko and Kazuki on the water tower thing, if you're into that sort of thing.] Seriously... the end was so bad...
One anime that I can gladly add to my top 10 now is Azumanga Daioh! This anime is brilliant. Funny, with charming character development (although both Tomo-chan and Yukari-sensei make me want to kill someone, but that's the point I suppose; Osaka is by far my favourite character, although I can't say I don't like any of them - this anime certainly wouldn't be the same with each of the unique individuals portrayed within) and a crazy (yet sometimes heartwarming) story. I can't take my eyes off it! And, though usually with an anime I'll watch the opening theme once or twice then just skip to the show for all following episodes, I couldn't bring myself to skip the masterpiece that is the OP even once. This anime is awesome. <3 Last edited by Skylark on Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DKL
 Posts: 1962 Location: California, USA |
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Oh... reminds me... I updated my favorites this year:
1-The Girl Who Leapt Through Time It was like the most beautiful and heartfelt movie I’d ever seen; not only that, but its comedy was, aside from being pretty dang creative, totally right up my alley and kept things interesting and fun. And I liked how those aspects of Mamoru Hosoda’s creative direction was essentially summarized in the final sequences of the movie… seriously… it was like my favorite ending in anything, ever. 2-Kaleido Star (both seasons, New Wings being the better season) I honestly can’t think of many other experiences in anime where I was tearing up like a little wussy; KS managed to do it for me a bunch of times within the series. And man… the ending to New Wings was touching as hell. In fact, it was like the best thing since Melon Bread. 3-Monster I have an entire thread with about 70 pages of material in it… even though I don’t necessarily use all that material anymore, in the end, I managed to develop a neat little theory to explain a lot of things in the show thanks to that long ordeal of… typing. I guess the best part was how rewarding coming to the conclusions I had felt… I mean, how many shows can tie together a mystery THIS BIG with just one little clue tucked away in the ending? If you guys find it (in anime), be sure to tell me. 4-Master Keaton The romance of Europe in the early 90s is something that you just can’t quite get just anywhere. But, not just that, it’s the application that makes it such a wonderful show. Seriously… how many shows can make episodes about wine interesting? And I know NOTHING about wine, which makes it all the more surprising. 5-Hanada Shonen Shi (The Story of Young Hanada) This is a little gem I discovered given how interested I was in Masayuki Kojima’s work (his work also consisting of the previous two titles)… seriously, between its interesting characters and competent understanding of somewhat modern rural life… what’s not to like? That said, I honestly think that Masayuki Kojima is the best director working in the industry; too bad he goes on kinda unnoticed though given that his usual poison has to do with low-key subject matter that doesn’t necessarily grab the mainstream eye. Oh yeah... and Kei is one of the best female anime characters EVER... despite the fact that she's only in the 3rd Grade... No, seriously... she kicks so much ass that it isn't even funny. 6-Princess Nine I like how director Tomomi Mochizuki conveys his understanding of the passion of youth, sports and love very clearly here… even more impressive is how all these themes come together in the end to make for an incredibly extravagant and satisfying conclusion... Damn… where the hell is the next season? Like, there should be a rival girls’ baseball team or something. 7-Strawberry Marshmallow This is one of the cutest shows ever created, so of course I’ll like it. Also, its understated approach to humor is a very nice contrast to the overly moe feel of everything; it’s surprisingly intelligent and even has the humor to poke fun at itself (in the form of designating the girls to fall under VERY specific stereotypes). 8-Cardcaptor Sakura (plus movies) I still watch this series even after 5 years… no, seriously… I’m in the middle of my Nth re-watch right now (I’m currently at episode 24). Also, the CCS movies were something that I appreciated more as time went on. 9-Paradise Kiss It’s sexy, it has successfully unconventional execution and it has a fairly realistic outlook on life. Combined with its interesting dialogue and surprisingly powerful drama, I gotta say that this was really one of the best things I’ve bought this year. Why in god’s name did I wait an entire year before seeing it? Waiting for DVD releases is the worst, to be honest. 10-Death Note This is one of the most amusing shows I’ve ever seen… sure, I don’t take its “what if” scenario as seriously as a lot of people do (given that it feels kinda one-sided in regards to whether or not what Light is doing is right or wrong… to me, it’s pretty goddamn obvious that it’s wrong), but it’s just thrilling watching people and how they go about doing things in this show. Like, I keep going: “Damn! Is he gonna get him?” I’ll leave more notes on this one for later given that I wanna talk about it more… |
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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Since I haven't watched anime for a really long time, and back then I didn't take it that seriously, I can't enumerate 10 favorite series and 5 least favorite series. I'll just have to do with what I have so far, and I guess I'll update in the future.
Anyway, here are my favorite series, in no particular order. Yu Yu Hakusho and Fushigi Yuugi - I know I said no particular order, but I have to note that these two are tied. Both of these series are among the first that I have watched religiously. I think I watched both of these in the same year too. Anyway, Yu Yu Hakusho was the one that got me hooked into watching anime in general. It surprises me that no matter how many times I watch it, I still like it and I never seem to get tired of it either. The same reason applies Fushigi Yuugi. FLCL - I was really shocked when I watched it. I heard a lot of good things about it, so I decided I have to see it for myself. When I did see it for the first time, I then understood why a lot of people like it so much. It's almost like I'm proud of myself for being able to watch it, even more so now that I watched it ahead of my brother who always brags how he gets to watch the good ones before I do. Anyway, I like how different it is from all the other anime out there. It was so fast paced that it doesn't allow room for boredom, which is another reason why I like it. On top of that, the music rocks too. This is the anime that introduced me to the Pillows, which is now one of my favorite bands. Maria - Sama Ga Miteru - I was a bit hesitant to watch it at first, given it's shojo - ai premises. I'm glad I did choose to watch it. I don't know what it is exactly, but I really like this anime. I even fought with people from another foum who said they hated this anime. They were like "it's the dullest anime I've ever watched, blah blah blah". I know that on the surface, it does seem boring, but for some reason it really interests me. Maybe it's the characters or the individual storylines - I'm still not sure, but I like it. Samurai Champloo - I didn't want to watch it at first because I am not a fan of samurai themed anime. Furthermore, I am more inclined to watch shojo so it doesn't really seem like something I would watch. I only watched it because my brother, once again, forced me into watching it and once again, he's right. I started to like it from episode 9 onwards (since the earlier episodes were too serious for me). I didn't expect that it would end up to be one of my favorites at all. It's mostly because of the humor - I was laughing at almost every scene. I liked the characters too. I think they really go together, and it's so weird since the three of them are so different from each other. School Rumble Nigakki - Another suggestion from my brother. I have to say that I liked this season better than the first one. I thought it was way funnier, and the cast was better and larger this time. In the first season I was always like "who's that guy? is that girl with the mop relevant (Ichijou)". By the time the second season came, it changed to "wait, that girl has a name?" I like the music better too. Chrno Crusade - According to wikipedia, it was released as Chrno Crusade in Japan so don't tell me I mispelled the title. I was proven wrong again. I was hesitant to watch it, and I'm glad I did watch it cause it ended up to be one of the best series I've ever watched. It's mostly because of the feel of it - sure it was a bit depressing, but that's just the kind of person I am. Ouran High School Host Club - Damn it I'm obsessed. I just finished watching it last night (at exactly 12 midnight too) and I am watching it all over again. I just can't let go yet - I just can't. Whoever made Ouran knows me too well - it's just perfect. I have no qualms about it whatsoever. It's just the perfect pick-me-up whenever I need a pick-me-up. It's so funny and witty, and it's eye candy too. I love Kyouya 
Honey and Clover(I and II) - I can relate to most of the characters (Takemoto's fear of not knowing what to do, Yamada's unrequited love) and I wish that I'll be OK like the rest of them. It's like the story of my life. I'm also close to graduating from college and what's beyond graduation is scaring me a bit. Honey and Clover gives me some hope and tells me I don't have to rush things and be afraid of what lies ahead. Now for the least favorite ones, at least so far. Mamotte Shugogetten - The fact that I finished the series still astonishes me. I was so happy to have finished it too. It was so poorly executed - almost like Ranma 1/2 + Ah! My Goddess gone wrong. I think that in the 4 months I "rekindled" my love for anime, this is the worse series I've watched. Whenever my friends ask me for suggestions on what series to watch, I make sure to say "never watch mamotte shugogetten". The Vision of Escaflowne - Ok, some people who might read this may think that I'm crazy. The thing is, it's just not for me, at least now. I started watching it at about the same time I first watched Fushigi Yuugi, just when I started to watch anime. I wasn't able to finish it, so I decided to watch it all over again (I even watched the same english dub version). It was almost like a drag to watch it. It had all the ingredients of a really good anime, and yet it failed to please me. I just found it to be too serious. I'm the kind of person who wants to see a character in chibi form at least once in the whole series. Please Teacher- I don't know if it's the sub par fansub I used to watch it, but then again, if I got a good copy of it I don't think I'll watch it ever again. I know a lot of people really like this anime, but I can't say I have the same opinion. I thought it was too boring and the characters lacked charisma. Out of all the series I am curently watching, it's the one that I rather not watch. I just finished it cause I don't think it's bad enough to drop, and I try to finish every anime I watch just because I finish what I start. Maburaho- I have no idea why this was on AnimeNfo's top 194. It was just another series that's "blah" all the way through. The plot had potential, but it just wasn't executed properly. The topics were all too shallow. It was easy to understand, but maybe TOO easy to understand. Also, the fan service was just too much. Maybe guys would disagree with me, but I really thought it was shojo so I wasn't expecting too much fan service! Naruto and One Piece - Also not for me. The storyline doesn't interest me at all, and I don't like the drawing style either. These are the only reasons I can give since I never watched any episode of these series, and I probably never will. EDIT : Included another title in my least favorite list (Please Teacher). Included another title in my least favorite list (Maburaho) Included another title in my favorite list (Chrno Crusade) Included another title in my favorite list (Ouran High School Host Club) Included another title in my favorite list (Honey and Clover) Last edited by jetz on Mon May 21, 2007 11:26 am; edited 3 times in total |
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.calla.
Posts: 5 |
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some of the things i love others seem to as well so it must be a truth that they are great
1. evangelion i have the most memories of this anime. and when i was 14 EoE messed me up so much and because of those experiences i am who i am. the anime has so many layers and i would take more time than i wanna spend just to explain them. it transcends your stereotypical mecha anime by spicing it up with religious themes and incredible character depth in which you really can't find anywhere else. once you piece up pretty much everything (which takes a lot of time) you find out how truely masterful this anime is. 2. ouran high school host club after evangelion, i pretty much gave up on anime since i found the greatest one of em all. but then i saw this. this is on the completely different end of the spectrum. quite possibly the funniest anime i've ever seen. easy to follow (compared to excel saga), consistently funny and it's not obnoxious. this is guaranteed to pull you out of depression, so throw your paxil away (or sell it, whichever). 3. cowboy bebop this is the definition of cool. yoko kanno busts out her best work since macross plus. this is an anime you can recommend to anyone because it suits everyone. where as most animes have some cheesy music playing during action sequences in cowboy bebop you've got jazz and since i love jazz, i find nothing better. 4. fruits basket this is up there with ouran only it's not constantly funny. the amazing thing about this anime is the way the humour and tragedy are constantly integrated. it is very endearing. not something to pull you out of depression but certainly a pick-me-up. and the way they draw the animals is just so cute you have to love it. 5. bleach yeah, yeah, yeah... it's whats in. but the characters are so much fun and the action is pretty good. the only drawback, in my opinion, is too much action or suspense. it's pretty much nonstop and once a saga is over you've got one episode of everyone just taking it easy. which isn't much since being constantly bombarded with action gets tiring. 6. genshiken an anime about anime. that's pretty unique in itself. however, at times the animation isn't so good. there isn't a linear plot, just a group of people getting together to talk anime. but since it's so laid back it is easy to enjoy. 7. serial experiments lain truth is i've only seen this series once and it was a while back. but from what i remembered, it's complexity rivals evangelion. the animation is pretty top-notch to boot. so if your looking for something very serious than this is a good choice. much better than boogiepop phantom by all means. 8. mushishi when you talk about laid back this pretty much defines it. a carefree guy wondering the countryside helping people who are haunted by mushi. it's a great anime for late nights when you have just got back from a hard day at work and your mind is fried. 9. black lagoon i want to describe this as cowboy bebop without the jazz and a lot more vulgar and violent. this anime defines badass. great gun fights. great characters. and for an anime very it is very diversive, which is refreshing. 10. bartender like mushishi another laid back anime. aimed at adults more than anything. at times it is pretty corny but the fact they give you cocktail recipes is a plus. the music is also very nice, a very laid back jazz lounge feel. these animes i think suck... 1. fushigi yuugi how many times can someone be attempted rape victim in ancient china? well find out for yourselves. how do you lower the strength of your enemies? why sleep with them of course! can't summon what you need to summon the correct way? that's okay! there are more than two ways to do it, even though you just spent half the series trying to do it right this first time. honestly, this anime is just too ridiculous, which normally is okay for anime, but the point is that the anime takes itself seriously even though you can't. 2. gantz how this is hit with people is beyond me. the only plus is that you will be shouting at your tv and getting into it. not like jeopardy where your screaming the answers but more like "why the hell is it taking six episodes to defeat this guy? shoot it in the head! shoot it in the head! no! not the foot! the head!" i also hated the main character more than i ever hated a main character, and the side characters aren't that good either. with really no explaination of what is going on your left to wonder after the conclusion "was this worth my time?". no my friends.. it wasn't. 3. dragon ball z & gt i don't need to explain this one. 4. i my me strawberry eggs yeah, i've seen all these jokes in monty python movies. and whenever they turn to this endearing light-hearded tone i think "yeah, i've seen this done better in disny films". 5. movies and short series that suck... m.d geist, samurai shodown, tekken, puni puni poeimi, appleseed, galaxy express 999, x, etc etc |
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Nagisa
Moderator
 Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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Think what you want, but the FACT is you DO, and I won't tolerate laziness.
Oh dear. You SERIOUSLY need to explain this one. 
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p3rseus
Posts: 72 |
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Fullmetal Alchemist is my top favorite anime, it has a deep story with excellent action sequences and character development is just so well done. I also like how it doesn't follow any usual trend, it keeps you guessing, I could not predict just what was going to happen next.
Ghost in the Shell (both versions and movies except 2nd), this is such an amazing thriller, it could be made into a Hollywood movie. First it looks great, it has a blend of 2D and 3D art that makes it beatiful to look at and then the animatin is perfect. The action doesn't stop. I like technology as well and this is, I think the most technology-based anime I've seen so far, it gives a deeper and more interesting look at the internet and technology and combines it with philosophical aspects of morals, right and wrong and so on. The Place promised in our early Days is a movie directed by the genius Shinkai. The movie itself is a drama with scifi elements and some action sequences, but it's very deep and inspiring. Gundam Seed because I really like technology and the things that may seen like science fiction now but are indeed reachable. So humans are genetically enhanced and can write an OS in matter of seconds, to make giant robots fight, not to mention that it looks great although the story could go deeper and some animations are replayed, it's still one of my favorites. Rahxephon is very interesting and unpredictable, sometimes it may even kind of confusing, but there is a lot of action and interesting twists. I haven't finished it yet but I really like what I've seen of it. Voices of a distant star is another one made solely by Shinkai. Wow, this guy inspires me, making such a great movie by himself. Given it's a short film clocking at little more than 30 minutes, it looks great, it only focuses on two characters but it does it very well, a masterpiece considering.. I'm sure I'll have more to add as I finish a few more I'm currently watching. |
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covah
 Posts: 39 |
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Top Five
1. Hellsing: Not as good as the manga in any respects, but still you got the basics there. I love horror and vampire movies, and they got a bunch of the big parts of the mythology in the anime that they don't really mention much in the magna like where they added spoiler[Incognito (after being impaled by a melted down silver cross): "who are you?" then with the close on Alucard's face, Vlad Drăculea III's (aka Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula) face appears for a second. Basically meaning that Alucard is the original Dracula.] 2. Ergo Proxy: the story is great, the artstyle is great, and to top it all off, they have the cliched creepy little girl! Yeah, when Pino first started running around in that rabbit costume I couldn't help but feel creeped out by her. The series also gets points for not being one of those big thinker ones. 3.Death Note: I watch this series solely for the volley back and forth between Light/Kira and L. It's like a game of chess, except more hardcore and people die a lot... a lot 4. Full Metal Panic (all of them): What can I say? I just like it. It's not like it was bad or anything, I just find it really entertaining. 5. Outlaw Star: this is probably the first anime that I watched from start to finish and is probably what got me into anime in the first place, so of course it has to be on my list. Bottom Five 1. Steel Angel Kurimi: I have NO idea why I borrowed these dvds from my friend. I watched this entire series in a day and couldn't bare to even watch the second season of it. Annoying characters, stupid story, and that pretty much sums it up. I wanted to kill myself afterwards. 2. Ikkitousen: does anyone actually think this series has any legitimate fans who claim the they watch it for the story or something like that? There's a point where fan service just gets too much. For fun, I counted how many pantie shots are in the second episode and the answer is spoiler[57] I may of been off though. 3. Naruto: UGH. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid everything. Why is that some of the worst anime's get so popular in america? It just gets to the point where I can't even consider it anime anymore. Plus I hate mr. bowl cut. 4. DBZ: How many dragonball z characters does it take to screw in a lightbulb? ONE! but it'll take three episodes. 5. Steel Angel Kurumi... AGAIN: because its just that bad. |
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Belldandy's Lover!!
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Favs
1.Ah! my Goddess Tv >This is an increasingly good and fun series with funny plot twists and Goddess galore. I love this series just because I like the series with pitiful guys who find happiness in life eventually. Plus Belldandys a bonus 2.R.O.D. the tv >This anime was just purely unique, the cast was incredible, and the songs were pretty good. I also loved the idea of having the usual backround for the end of the episodes turned into part of the last episode(only people who have seen this will understand) 3.Pokemon >I know, I know, this is not very entertaining to most people above the age of 10 or 9, but this is the one anime that affected me the most when I was young. Without it I would probably just be getting started watching other animes, so I am happy to say that I have watched this in the past. 4.Fullmetal Alchemist >What can I say, a truly riveting series in my eyes. This was full of good character and a unusual outlook on an alternate world to ours where unthinkable things are possible. Plus the equivelent exchange idea hooked me at the begining. 5.Maison Ikkoku Tv >Brilliant series done by a brilliant writer. I love how Godai is just a pitiful guy tring to go after this girl Kyoko no matter what trials lie ahead. He also has to put up with his "friends" at Maison Ikkoku. Rumiko Takahashi brings the manga to life in this tv series. 6.Rurouni Kenshin >This has a mysterious feel to it while you watch yet you know exactly whats going on. Any anime that can give you that feeling and still keep you up to date on all the well made characters is a decent series to me. Everyone including Kenshin especially, has a thorough backround story that makes the show awesome. Dislikes 1.Knight Hunters Talk about a series that has basically no story line and the characters are lacking in, well, character. This kind of show will probably deter you from watching anime for awhile because of the fear that the next one will be like this one. |
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ordinary Joe
 Posts: 11 |
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RahXephon - Yes, it can be argued that it is a Neon Genesis Evangelion clone, but I think it succeeds where Eva failed. Eva was my first introduction to anime, but RahXephon was really what made me like it. The hero is reluctant, but not spineless and the love aspect is beautifully convoluted. The scale for the whole world as a whole was pulled off very well, I thought, and while the battle scenes were at times stiff, it was understandable once you took the nature of the constructs into account. Or that's what I think.
Noir - This is a great story, with characters that I find intrigueing. The amnesic angle has been way over-played, with all the video games and movies out, but I feel this one was tastefully done. I can appreciate that the characters have their own individual motives, right up until the very end of the series. Fafner - Right from the get-go this one pulled at me. The mecha designs were not very impressive (a major drawback, in my book), but the struggle the characters underwent was something very well told. And all of the characters who made it to the end alive showed real growth and development, which is always nice to see. Elfen Lied - Another amnesiac anime, but this one a killer. The demented gore just highlighted the terrible dark side of humanity that was the subject of the series. Part of me was apalled, but everything else was so enthralled that I couldn't turn away. So it became a favorite. Gundam Wing - The second anime I ever finished, and this one has a philosphy that I really like. The extensive use of repeat sequences for the combat scenes (especially when the series is combat focused) was really weak. But I actually liked the characters and the plot. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Say what you will, but Yoko Kanno made this anime. Don't get me wrong; the plot was phenomenal, at least for the non-filler episodes. And most of those were still good. But the music hit every note for me and really brought it all together. 'Velveteen', the song that plays as the little girl with the Laughing Man bag walks towards the hospital, has earned a permanent place on my playlist. I do have to say that I wept openly when spoiler[the Tach shed the one oil drop-tear before sacrificing itself for Bato], that just really got me. Gunslinger Girls - This one was so tragic I daresay if you watch it and don't shed a tear you have no soul. I was really drawn to care for each of the characters. Especially Rico; the episode where spoiler[she meets the boy, there's a hint of love, but she ends up killing him], I was heartbroken for her, even though she couldn't be. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig - There was way more intrigue and it really demonstrated the flaws in the characters more, which normally would have made a sequel better than the original in my book. But something about the way this was pulled off, it just didn't have the energy of the first one. And I'm sorry, but the music was not quite up to par with the first one. And for the love of god, spoiler[quit killing my damn Tachkomas! I love those things!] Witch Hunter Robin - I really enjoyed this. The ambiance was good and I liked how they handled the witch's powers. It never degraded into anything hokey, even when parts of it seemed to degrade into a super-powered fighting anime. Cowboy Bebop - Two words for you: come on. Come on. I mean it's Cowboy Bebop. Anyway, who doesn't like Ein . . . I like Appleseed, the Escaflowne movie, Princess Monoke, but I just can't justify them on a favorites list because of the time and emotional effort I have with the series. Onto the dregs . . . Samurai Gun - No, bad. It was marketed in the vein of Ninja Scroll. It's not Ninja Scroll folks. It's full of itself and makes Lupin's art look cutting edge . . . Blue Submarine No. 6 - The only, and I repeat only, part of this series that I enjoyed were the CG scenes. The part where none of the characters were talking and (most of the time) things were blowing up? Yeah, that's it. Hated the characters (nothing to relate to), the plot (end of the world? been there), yada yada yada Outlaw Star - This one part killed it for me, more than any other part of the anime: spoiler[fisticuffs in space, with your spaceship!] That's just bad damn form. Seriously. I could have gotten behind the rest of the series, if it just hadn't been for that . . . Steel Angel Kurumi 2 - The first season is my chibi, when I need it (which ain't often). But it's cute and manages to be something I like. This? No, not one iota. spoiler[Replacing half the main characters with girls and turning them all into lesbians is not the recipe for a sequel; that's a hentai, guys.] Chrono Crusade - I wanted to like this series, I really did. As a matter of fact I told all my friends to watch it before I finished it because I was so excited about it. Even as the ending was unfolding, I kept thinking, hoping they would pull it out. And then that was it: spoiler[kuputski, they're dead.] Felt like I wasted my time. So now it's on my hate list . . . |
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Nexcion
 Posts: 5 Location: Arizona |
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Top 10 Favorites
1. Death Note This anime got me into watching anime again. A detailed storyline, intricate characters, beautiful animation and always interesting. It doesn't get old and always keeps me on the edge of my seat. Battle-of-wits, smart, psychological, and morality based, it never gets boring. At least not to me. 2. Cowboy Bebop Non-stop action, one of the best anime soundtracks (jazz and blues), awesome animation, very likeable characters with realistice human qualities, comedy, drama, and slight hints of romance. Truly a classic. I may even actually consider this my favorite anime of all time. 3. Monster Touches on your feelings. A very different storyline for anime and a more adult approach to animation. Is very much like a real-life drama. Engaging and entertaining storyline. Is also very moral based. Plus the story as a whole is simply unforgettable (major plot turns and development!!) 4. Escaflowne One of the best fantasy anime. Has plenty of action, romance, drama and some bits of comedy. Engaging and has plenty of twists and turns, but doesn't drag on. Appeals equally to males and females. Also, has an amazing and unforgettable score. This was the show that actually got me interested in watching anime, and the first show that I knew where I was consciously watching anime (of course I saw pokemon and digimon before this, but I wasn't aware that they were anime at the time). 5. Detective Conan Smart, logical detective mystery. Is also almost like a figure-it-out-before-the- detective-can kind of story. Although it can seem kiddy, it never really touches on anything overtly childish, as there is plenty of gore, mystery and murders. 6. Saber Marionette J A truly different type of harem anime that stays away from the stereotype of a typical harem anime. Plenty of action, loveable characters and an asexual main hero. As the story continues, it becomes more and more detailed. This also features strong female leads, not the typical damsel in despair ones found in typical harem series. Can appeal to males and females. 7. Trigun Another anime that touches on morals, but is highly entertaining. Silly, dramatic and very engaging, it will have you rethinking what is right and wrong. A unique setting on another planet that is similar to the wild west, with many inspirations from the west. 8. Tokyo Babylon A very emotional anime with a rare type of ending and a huge plot twist. Another anime that touches on morals, this anime will have you crying and keep you into the story. A very rare one because CLAMP actually managed to have a descent ending, unlike many of their other works. (besides CCS) 9. Fullmetal Alchemist Awesome storyline and another very emotional anime. Another one that touches on what is right and what is wrong, but it doesn't drag on. Full of symbolism and edge of your seat exitement and plot twists, it will have you wanting more. Although good, not a very satisfying ending. 10. Fruits Basket A cute reverse harem series with lovable characters and plenty of engaging romances. It wil have you sympathizing, laughing and crying with the characters. A very rare type of romance and love-triangle themed anime. 5 Least Favorite 5. Inuyasha Drags on way too long and the ending seems to have been in vain. The unsaid love drags on for too long and is really the only thing that keeps the viewers tuned in and the series going. Also they have to collect jewel shards to defeat the main villain, which gets repetitive. This anime is also full of boring fillers. 4. Scrapped Princess Boring and a very cliched series. A typical shonen fantasy, but it offers very little in terms of character development and is pretty much a monster-of-the-week anime, with very few hints or mentions of the actual storyline. It also seems like a pen-and-paper RPG turned anime. 3. DragonBall Z Another series that drags on for way too long. The only thing that happens is that a new villian will appear and the hero needs to get stronger, and once the hero defeats that villain, another stronger foe will appear and the hero will have to get even stronger. There are no tactics to the fighting and its really nothing more than power struggles and powering up. It seems that the theme of this series is "stronger equals better" 2. Petite Cosette This anime had the potential to be a great series but it failed in so many ways. Awful CGI scenes and elements that don't really make sense, this series is boring, mostly uneventful, and has a ridiculous main character. The characters are even unforgettable (from the first episode, it's hard to even recall the main characters name), and there are other characters who are unimportant to the series, yet they sometimes manage to get dragged in. The only good thing about this series is the animation style (minus the CGI) and the costume designs. 1. X the Movie Worst anime film in existence. It doesn't make sense and its complety confusing, and for the most part, uneventful. It also seems like it had to be rushed and the makers didn't care much about a story as long as they get the violence in there. spoiler[It doesn't even matter when some of the characters die because you don't even care. Drags on just to build up to the final fight with the main hero and villain, but it's a really lame fight scene]. |
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Chamrin
Posts: 10 |
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I really agree about the music. A well orchestrated score can easily make a good show/movie a masterpiece. I think Star Wars was the same way as well, the music just made it epic. Even today the musical themes John Williams used are echoed in all sorts of shows, including Ghost in the Shell. In the second gig, when the military is on the move, the song Go DA DA plays. It's just kazoo's and drums, but it clearly reminds one of Imperial March. The first time I saw the episode, and heard it, it sent chills down my spine. Cham |
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Treetastic
 Posts: 164 Location: Canada |
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Although I know there are much better titles out there than these, this list will just stick to the ones I've seen a lot of/all of. I don't really have an order, either, they're just written as they come to mind:
1) Trigun. I like this one a lot. The characters are all very well developed, even the villains. When something bad happens, it's easy to relate to them. Definitely the strong point of the series. It also has a pretty interesting plot. The planet is very strange, but in a good way- mind you, everyone has seen this series, so you all probably know that. 2) Kino's Journey. A very interesting, thought-provoking show. "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is" is the key phrase throughout the series, and Kino sees many examples of this. The animation was gorgeous, but the way it leaves you feeling after the last episode is what you remember. Very, very good. 3) Cowboy Bebop. I didn't like this quite as much as I wanted to, but I admit that Cowboy Bebop is a great series. Another one with great characters, it's fun to watch these people interact. And the dub cast is phenomenal. 4) Fullmetal Alchemist. Running out of ideas here... anyways, most people like FMA. It has a very intricate story, lovely animation, interesting characters, a beautiful soundtrack, and a strong dub cast. Liked it. 5) The Toei YuGiOh series. (Needed something to put here.) Yes, it was wishy-washy, full of silly moments and strange visual puns. But it was a heck of a lot of fun. What really made it good was the side story about how Honda's strange relationship with spoiler[Miho], which was quite endearing. If they ever release it in North America (heck, I can't even find an R2, so it's not likely) I'll definitely buy it. And the worst: 1) Fighting Foodons. I'll admit that I actually watched it. But my only thought was: "W... T... F?!" It was frightening. I mean, a show about battling fry cooks with talking meatballs? It was like Yakitate!! Japan meets Pokemon. 2) Mon Colle Knights. I suppose this would count as my real introduction to anime- everyone saw Pokemon, but I'm not sure how many 5th graders would get up to watch this at six a.m. Nevertheless, it was pretty bad. 3) Gundam Seed Destiny. Fight, fight, fight. Look, one of them fell over. Now someone is screaming... there's a bishonen being angsty. Now they're talking. Okay, that's over, now more robot battles... this has put me off the entire Gundam franchise. 4) Kirby- Right back at ya! Trying to make a TVshow based on a platformer with about three sentences worth of plot is setting yourself up for problems. But really, they could have done better than this. Plus the CGI was terrible. Dub was standard 4Kids *ahem* quality. Why is King DDD ordering monsters from Yami Yuugi (YuGiOh)? Because 4Kids only has a very small number dub actors, that they use for any and all roles. 5) Marine Boy. I've never seen it in Japanese. I hope it wasn't as bad as it was in English. Although... it's not likely. |
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Nagisa
Moderator
Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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It's unfair to judge a franchise spanning nearly thirty years of material solely on what is almost unanimously considered by both fans and casual observers to be its single worst title. I highly implore you to try one of its more critically-acclaimed entries—like Zeta Gundam, or 08th MS Team, or Turn-A Gundam, or the original Mobile Suit Gundam—before passing such sweeping judgments. If you still don't like it after that, then Gundam's simply not your thing, no harm, no foul. But at least see it at its best before casting it aside based on its very worst. |
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Wingfreedomstriker
 Posts: 79 Location: La Grange point 3 |
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You forgot one thing far more annoying than the ones you just said, its the flashbacks that seem to take almost half of the series. if you just watched this gundam series, you won't really appreciate gundam that way. try the prequel, its much better. 
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